LABORATORY IT: Laboratory Information Technology: Mass Spectrometry on the Move

摘要

Mass Spectrometry (MS) is finding new users every day. As experience and insights are growing, new types of applications rapidly emerge. A problem is the multitude of data and file formats, hence this article is focused on formats and analytical topics. Basic MS information can be found in G.I.T. Laboratory Journal Europe issue 9-10, volume 12, September 2008, p. 28ff. Mass Spectrometry software is very complex. Many software suites are proprietary and limited to specific types of applications. There are some standards covering certain aspects in the sequence from equipment configuration and data acquisition through transfer, storage, analysis and result representation (on-screen or printed document). Mass spectrometry (MS) includes analysis techniques to identify and quantify biological and chemical compounds which create a molecular fingerprint. It includes preparing and normalizing data, calibration of spectra and searching for statistically meaningful peaks in the samples.